


Stories of the Second Self: Too Close Quarters for Comfort

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [166]
Category: National Guard - Fandom, Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:27:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22746265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Still growing rapidly, Paul Appelbaum concluded his boot camp and intelligence training in the Ohio National Guard. A new program is structured to ascertain the affect of tight indoor spaces will have on Paul and other giants. Paul had also started to learn some weak spells, and is strongly advised about the risk of using them in caves.
Series: Alter Idem [166]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Too Close Quarters for Comfort

Training in the Ohio National Guard proved interesting for Paul Appelbaum and other recruits like him. Most giants had signed up or were placed under a hastily legislated draft when they were ten feet tall or less. However, Paul found his uniform size changing by the month. Midway through basic it became necessary for uniforms to all be tailored, then again for graduation, and every month thereafter.

His dietary intake was meticulous monitored by the Guard and civilian medical experts, not out of any concerns for obesity, but to understand how it would change relative to size compared to normal people.

It wasn't until after basic training that the term 'giant' was even thrown around as a formal demographic descriptor. Since then Paul went into Advanced Individual Training for 35-Foxtrot intelligence training, and now he stood at eleven foot, three inches.

He and other giants hadn't conduct a regular physical training regimen. That also was being structured, largely from scratch, and then overhauled often. It became clear to Paul that maintaining high muscle bulk and tone with low body fat would never be difficult again. Before, he was mostly lean though soft, but no longer.

Formally, his training program had concluded, but the Guard still had one nagging concern for recruits who were simply too big for indoor work of any kind. Hence, Paul and other giant Guardsmen were driven out to Perry's Cave.

Formerly a tourist attraction before the federal collapse, it was one of scant few sites in Ohio where cramped spaces training could be done away from populated areas. The instructor was a professional caver turned tour guide at the cavern. She and three other cavers led the giants into the cave system.

Major Linton, a DIA reconnaissance leader, took Paul aside and pointed up at him. "Absolutely, regardless of circumstances, no fucking magic in there."

Paul merely nodded, but when walking back to the other giants, he muttered under his breath, "I know. I'm not an idiot."

What little magic Paul knew he gleaned off of darknet chat rooms, and his own application resulted in little more than sparks, glittery light shows of underwhelming splendor, and a scorch mark no larger than a grenade blast out on the artillery range.

"Okay everybody," the lead caver called out, "Line up single file at the entrance and try not to get pushy if things move slower than you like."

What was upright easy walking for regular people through Perry's Cave, carved out stairs and handrails included, turned grueling and claustrophobic for Paul. He wasn't alone, and Paul watched more than one other break down or panic when they couldn't wedge themselves through a space normal people leisurely strolled through.

Overall, Paul felt it was worth it, despite a few tears in his Action Dress Uniform. Parts of the cavern were sufficiently high and voluminous that he could appreciate the intricacies of natural processes acting over millions of years. Had he been permitted, Paul would've brought in a phone or camera to snap images.

"It's something else, isn't it?" the caver instructor spoke to Paul, noticing the way he absorbed the sights.

"Yeah," Paul agreed, and added, "I know some geology professors at Cincinnati U who talked about their caving expeditions. I can see why they preferred caves to the classroom."

In the end, no grading scores were given for the exercise. Rather, onsite psychologists interviewed the trainees on their reactions and struggles during the wholly improvised course. The reason for testing giants was as Paul suspected; in the off chance they were forced to deal with an indoor problem.

Before being transferred back to his intel unit, Paul went through another close-in spaces training using a hastily erected urban warfare training complex. The claustrophobia of the cavern cured Paul of any fear being caught in buildings. That, and he accidentally discovered that if he needed a new door, window, or sunroof it wasn't terribly hard for him to make one on the fly.


End file.
